What we know so far in English! Experts in thinking about reading!

Predict A guess about what the book is about Or what will happen next Use at the beginning of a book Or beginning of a chapter! Answer your prediction

Vocabulary The word Dictionary definition What it means in the story!

envision A picture of a scene from the book A picture of your connection to that scene

inference What you know about the story + What you know about life ___________________________________________ A new thought about the book (an educated guess about character, plot, conflict)

Author’s Purpose …quote from the book that is unusual Or shows a special quality that the author highlights Explain what the quote shows the reader about the story, what would change it the author took it out, what pattern does it show in the story

Figurative Language …portion of the figurative language that is important Identify the type (simile, personification, etc.) Meaning in the story

Theme Life lesson in the story Quote from the book How it shows the life lesson Usually more than one in a complex text

Compare/Contrast Venn Diagram: Should have three important comparisons in each section

Drawing a Conclusion using information that is implied or inferred to make meaning out of what is not clearly stated read between the lines, since not everything is explicitly stated or spelled out all the time

imagery Words that create a picture in your mind Using sensory detail to paint a picture in your mind Write the imagery and explain why it is important in the story

Background knowledge Used especially in historical fiction Look up any information that seems strange or special to a certain time period Use that information to broaden your understanding of the text

Conflict External Man vs man Man vs society Man vs nature Man vs machine Internal Man vs self

Irony Something other than expected Situational irony: fire in a fire station Verbal irony: say something but you mean the opposite Dramatic irony: when viewer/reader knows something that the character doesn’t

suspense Building up of excitement in a story through repeated or words or phrases Write one phrase Tell me how it builds mood in the story

Point of view 1st person: narrator tells the story, I 2nd person: you (understood you), instructions, directions, recipes 3rd omniscient: know more than one person’s thoughts, I, she, we, they…but narrator takes over and tells you what other people are thinking 3rd limited: only know one person’s thoughts

foreshadow A hint about what is going to happen in the story Write the hint Predict what it means Determine if you are correct about the hint

flashback when a scene or a character goes back in time to explain an important past event Usually explains an important plot point Briefly explain what happened and explain why it is important in the story

symbolism An image or words that stand for something else Example: US flag stands for freedom Used in short stories to highlight patterns important to the story

Characterization: Direct: the author explicitly describes the character Mrs. Cudmore hates to go outside when it is hot. Indirect: the author describes a character through dialogue, actions, and through other characters. Mrs. Cudmore stomped back inside. Her hair was flat and sweat was pouring down her face. She said, “Give me a cold Pepsi, right now!”